The center position isn’t nearly as dominant as it once was in the NBA when it comes to the number of interior-bullying, rebounding big men that could wreak havoc in the paint at both ends of the floor. However, the best of the best can still put up some impressive numbers and help your fantasy basketball league team to contend for a championship this year. Here is a look at the top five fantasy centers heading in to the 2017-18 season.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
There is no doubt at all about who the most dominant center in the NBA is right now. Towns averaged 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game with Minnesota a year ago. The fact that he is still just 21-years-old is testament to the fact that he still hasn’t reached his peak potential. The Timberwolves have done an excellent job of surrounding Towns with weapons including the addition of Jimmy Butler in the offseason. The sky is the limit for KAT’s potential heading in to his third NBA season.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Jokic broke out in a major way in the 2016 Summer Olympics and then carried his high level of play over in the NBA season when he put up career-best numbers for the Nuggets a year ago. Jokic averaged 16.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting nearly 58-percent from the field. Like Towns, Jokic is only now entering the prime of his career as he won’t turn 23-years-old until February. He is already one of the best options on the board in terms of picking a center for your fantasy basketball league team.
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
The Stifle Tower averaged 2.6 blocks per game a year ago while improving his scoring totals with an average of 14.0 points per game. While he doesn’t have the same offensive upside as a player like Towns, Gobert’s ability to hammer the boards and put up outstanding blocking numbers is the key to him being so high on this list. The Jazz will continue to lean on Gobert’s defensive acumen while asking him to help out even more at the offensive end of the floor this season. There is some concern that Gordon Hayward is gone but playing with a quality point guard like Ricky Rubio should help his cause.
DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans
Cousins was once at the top of this list and while he has been bumped by some of the rising stars at the position, he is still good enough to make the list. Cousins averaged 27.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game a year ago and should continue to see plenty of looks at the offensive end of the floor while working in tandem with Anthony Davis. Remember that he came over from Sacramento midseason and only ended up playing 17 games with the Pelicans. That’s fairly tough on a player to make that kind of transition in the middle of the year and still put up big numbers. If you’re thinking about drafting him in NBA fantasy, you’re probably banking on the fact that he’s now had a full offseason to work with Davis and the rest of the team. The other factor here is that the Pelicans should be improved with additions like Rajon Rondo – even if only slightly.
The Pelicans have the best 1-2 punch in the NBA up front if they can stay healthy and will lean even more on Cousins if Davis is forced to miss any time due to injury.
Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
Whiteside’s emergence as a capable scorer has vaulted him in to the category of a top-five fantasy basketball league center. The veteran big man averaged 17.0 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game for the Heat last season. While he isn’t as young as the top names on this list (he is 28 years old) there is no reason to think Whiteside will suffer a major drop off in production this season. He’s now one of the focal points of the Heat’s offense. Look for Whiteside to remain a top-five fantasy basketball league center while playing with the Heat in 2017-18.
The 2017 NBA futures are out. It’s been a wild offseason already, but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
